Yours sincerely,
Myah Pullus
IT fraud department
Idaho State Police
I frown. “Looks like she’s attempting some fraud herself. Maybe one of her victims is coming to blow her up.”
Jeep rubs his arms. “Wouldn’t that be a bit out of proportion, considering the crime?”
“Not if she takes all your money.”
“Wait.” He squints at the tablet. “What is she doing?”
A bright light forms in her hands and she pushes it into the screen. Her lips are moving.
I lean closer. “What is she saying?”
Taylar turns up the volume, but everything stays quiet. “There’s no sound on these cameras.”
Bright dots spread over the email. When they fade, Myah closes the message without sending it. Then she turns off the computer and walks out of view.
We discuss every possible plan Myah could have.
“She probably needs money. But why?” D’Maeo says.
Nobody knows the answer and finally I turn to Taylar. “Can you keep that tablet safe, come with us and keep an eye on Myah?”
“Sure.”
“Good. Then I guess we’re ready to go to Colorado.”
CHAPTER 24
Quinn spreads his wings and motions for us to gather under them. The light pulsing from his skin is blinding. I can barely keep my eyes open.
“Inhale deeply when my feathers touch you,” Quinn instructs. “And keep your eyes closed.”
He folds his wings around us, covering us in white feathers. When he touches Vicky, his jaws snap shut. Now I’m positive there’s something about Vicky that bothers him. But there’s no time to think about it. Quinn’s feathers vibrate and I take a deep breath. I’m too curious to close my eyes. I want to see what happens.
The feathers whirl around us like a tornado, but without sound. I feel them pull at my body. They wrap around my arms and legs and lift me off the ground.
“Here we go,” Quinn says and suddenly I’m spinning through the air.
Light explodes everywhere. I squeeze my eyes shut, but it doesn’t help. My stomach is turned upside down and my skin itches. There’s a whistling in my ears.
After several agonizing minutes, solid ground suddenly appears under my feet. The feathers release me and I scratch my arms and legs frantically.
“Is everyone alright?”
It’s Quinn’s voice, but I can’t see him. Actually, I can’t see anything. Except light. Lots of light.
I push my eyes open with my fingers and turn my head in all directions. “Where did you take us? To Heaven?”
“This is the Black Forest, Dante,” Jeep says from somewhere in front of me. “Look, there’s a trail map.”
“Where? I can’t see anything!” My voice echoes through the air. A bird shrieks back at it.
A hand on my shoulder makes me jump. “Did you keep your eyes open?”
I try to rub the light out of my eyes. “Well, yes of course, it was my first angel ride!”
He sighs. “Human eyes aren’t made to endure the heavenly lights, Dante.”
I reach out in all directions until I find a tree to lean against. “Please tell me I’m not blind.”
“You will be for a while.”
“Crap.”
Cold breath hits my neck and I turn around. “Who’s that?”
“It’s just me, Dante,” Vicky says. “I’ll lead you through the forest.”
Jeep’s voice is still in front of me. “We’re close to the part where the black ents live. I’ll take the lead.”
“Thank you, Jeep,” I mumble.
“No problem, master. We were all young and stupid once. We understand.” He chuckles.
“Speak for yourself, old man,” Vicky retorts, and I swallow my comment.
“Okay, most of us.”
“I’ll walk behind you,” Quinn says when Vicky pulls me along.
“Duck,” she says and I do, but still bump my head.
“How do we know we’ve reached the black part of the forest?” I ask after about a minute of stumbling along.
Vicky stops me by placing a hand on my chest. “I think the question should be, what do we say when we reach it?”
“Why? Are we there?”
There’s a rustling above my head and something tickles my leg. I pull my foot away from it, but the feeling doesn’t stop. It spreads to my neck, like claws waiting to cut off my breath.
“What’s happening?” I whisper.
I feel Vicky move closer to me, but the feeling of something descending on me doesn’t subside.
“The trees are closing in on us,” she whispers back. “I don’t think we’re welcome here.”
I do a quarter turn and feel around for Quinn. My hand touches a branch with sharp edges and I pull it back. “Quinn? Are you still there?”
“Of course.” He sounds confident.
“Can you speak for us? It’s a bit hard for me to address someone right now.”
“No problem.”
“Get off him!” Vicky suddenly screams, and she pulls me closer, swatting at my shirt.
Something pulls at my arm and I yell when it pierces my skin. There’s movement all around me and howling in my ears.
D’Maeo’s panicked voice calls out, “Draw your weapons!”
I try to reach for my athame, but Vicky is still pulling my free arm.
“Vicky,” I whisper, “move aside for a moment.”
As soon as she lets go, I conjure a lightning bolt in my hand. I don’t shoot it, but balance it in my palm. I raise my arm and the claws let go of me. “Dear ents,” I begin. “We come in peace. Our friend got hurt and we need your help to heal her. Give us what we want and we will leave you alone.”
The ground starts to tremble. I try to keep my head high and the bolt in my hand blazing brightly, but Vicky’s gasp distracts me and I feel my power fading.
I squint in hopes of getting my vision back, but everything remains as bright as snow in the sunlight. I tilt my head toward Vicky. “What is it? What do you see?”
“They’re making a path, to let a giant tree pass.” She gulps. “The thing looks horrible. Flakes of ash circle around it. Sharp branches grow from its neck and its mouth is covered in roots. Its arms are like… like…”
The ground shakes again and she grabs my arm. I can’t imagine how scary this ent must be to make even Vicky tremble like this.
Crunching footsteps approach and I feel my lightning bolt flicker.
I send all my energy to my hand and shout, “Hold it right there! We just…”
A howl pierces the air and I turn my head so quickly it cracks. I reach for Vicky’s hand and squeeze hard. “Was that what I think it was?”
From all the rustling around me, I gather that the ents are turning toward the noise, too.
“You brought company,” the leader bellows. “You wish to take our land.”
“We don’t wish for anything like that,” I say, raising the bolt in my hand.
“Then why did you bring demons?” it growls.
“We didn’t. They’re trying to kill us.”
“Maybe we should help them,” another creaky voice says.
Vicky lets go of me and cracks her knuckles.
My lightning bolt flares up.
“Be careful with that,” Quinn whispers. “You could hurt the ents.”
I’m about to give him a snide remark when all hell breaks loose.
Howls and chattering teeth come from all around us, answered by battle cries from my Shield and a lot of creaking and rustling from the ents.
“Demon at nine o’clock!” Vicky shouts.
Immediately, I turn to my left and shoot the bolt. A ball of burning, foul smelling paws and teeth knocks me over.
With one swift move, I take out my athame and plant it in the middle of the noisy creature. It gives a pained shriek and stops moving.
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“I’ve got your back,” a voice behind me says.
“Taylar,” I say, wiping some filthy, hot goo off myself. “Is everyone okay?”
“Looks like…” He grunts. “Six o’clock!”
I stab without thinking and my athame connects with something solid that writhes to get closer to me.
“Duck,” Taylar says. There’s a soft whoosh and the weight on my dagger is lifted. A thump confirms the defeat of another monster.
“How many more?” I ask, moving my head from side to side.
Vicky’s hand brushes against mine. “Just two, but the ents have them.”
I hear hissing and loud breathing. Something slams onto the ground so hard it moves.
“I didn’t know demons had brains,” Taylar says.
“This one doesn’t anymore,” Jeep answers with a chuckle.
Something hot burns my neck and I dive forward.
Taylar lets out a surprised yell, while swords whip through the air.
I’m confident that someone got the demon that jumped me, so I get up.
“Watch out!”
I duck again. A splash of boiling tar hits my face and I scream. I lift my shirt to wipe it off.
Behind me, branches break and an old voice moans.
Before I can even think about what I’m doing, I jump up and head straight for the sound.
The heat of the demon’s skin is tangible, but it’s still hard to aim. Before I leap at it, I tear my shirt off and throw it forward.
“Cover yourself,” I yell to the ent that must be lying on the ground.
I hit the demon in the side full force. We tumble onto the grass and I stab it over and over. The pitch burns my hands, but I pay no attention to it. I keep stabbing, high, low, left and right, until the body under me disappears.
I cough as the demon smoke hits my nostrils.
A sharp claw touches my shoulder and my breath catches in my throat. I raise my athame.
“Thank you,” a tired voice croaks.
My arm falls to my side. “You’re welcome. Are you okay?”
“I will be.” I hear the grateful smile in its tone.
I feel the Shield appearing at my side. They help me and the ent up.
“We are grateful for your help,” the leader says, coming closer. “But we still want to know why you came here.”
I grit my teeth as pain shoots through my burnt hands.
The ent I saved gently places some leaves on them and rubs until the burning sensation goes away. Then he wraps what remains of my shirt around my shoulders.
“Thank you,” I whisper. Then I turn to where I think the leader is standing. “We just need some ent blood. We’re not here to hurt you or steal from you.”
A grinding growl is the only answer I get. Even though I can’t see it, I feel a shadow looming over me. Another growl, this time closer, and a putrid smell of decay fills my nostrils. I try not to flinch. Is he still mad at us for coming here? Does he still think we brought those demons here?
“Quinn?” I say softly. “A little help here?”
There’s a loud whoosh and I can almost see Quinn unfolding his giant wings. His low voice vibrates through the air. “Listen to him. He is the chosen one. He alone can save us all.”
“Catchy,” I mumble under my breath.
Vicky pinches me in the side. “Sshh. Have a little faith.”
I feel the darkness slowly retreating.
“Why did you come to us?” a gnawing voice says. “Why do you need our blood?”
I take a small step forward. “It is said that the ents in the Black Forest are related to the trees in the Shadow World.” I remember the exchange of gratitude between me and the old ent just now. I felt its respect for me as it pressed the leaves onto my hands. Respect is what I should give back. “These ents the stories talk about are magnificent beings that hold the power over life and death of those who have fought in the Shadow World.”
Low grunts of approval rise up from all around me. I hear the trees move closer, but the dark feeling doesn’t return.
“You speak the truth,” the giant tree says.
I clear my throat, buying some time to think about my next words.
Vicky nudges me. “Go on.”
“A great battle awaits us. A battle no living soul has ever seen before. We have seen your great power mere minutes ago. We humbly ask you to be a part of this battle.”
Silence greets me and I slowly reach for my athame.
“Wait,” Vicky whispers. There’s a crunching of branches, followed by a cracking sound left and right. Barely audible grunts are carried to me on a light breeze.
I hear someone swallowing beside me. “They’re bowing,” Taylar says.
“Then we must bow back.” I bend forward and lower my head. The rustling of clothes tells me the others follow my example.
“It would be an honor to help you in this battle, chosen one,” the ent leader’s voice booms. “Take my branch to write history.”
A loud crack makes me blink. When I straighten up, shadows break up my bright world. A huge figure steps closer. When I blink again, the figure turns into an enormous tree. The shape is still hazy, but I can tell its arms are moving in my direction, so I put away my weapon and hold out my arms.
A heavy branch is put into my hands. Ash rises up when I exhale. The sharp texture stings my skin.
I bow again. “We are grateful for your gift. Your sacrifice will not be forgotten.”
The dark form bows back. For a moment everything is silent.
“Can we leave now?” I ask from the corner of my mouth.
“Yes, they have all turned around,” Vicky answers.
The huge shape moves away from me. A blurred face fills my vision. “Let’s go. Take my hand.”
Vicky pulls me along, past trees that stare at us and bushes that jump aside to let us pass.
Since I can’t see much, I fight the urge to look over my shoulder.
“You did great,” Quinn assures me when we come to a halt.
We gather under his wings again and this time I keep my eyes firmly shut.
CHAPTER 25
Back at Darkwood Manor, I almost cry with joy, taking in the kitchen and everyone in it. The others look back. Taylar with a pensive look on his face and Vicky with her thumb raised.
“I thought fighting those demons was scary, but not being able to see the enemy is even worse,” I confess. “I was sure I’d be chopped into pieces any minute. By ents and demons alike.”
I shake off the jitters and lay the branch down on the table.
Taylar is still watching me. “How did you come up with all that?” he asks when I return his questioning gaze.
I shrug. “I sensed showing respect would work better than threats. The words just came to me.”
“You sounded like an old king in a medieval movie.”
“I did?” I grin, planting my tired body into my chair. “Well, that ent seemed to like it.”
Vicky kisses the side of my neck. “I liked it, too.”
I shiver and fight the urge to pull her close.
Jeep clears his throat. “So what now?”
Vicky moves to her chair. I glance at Quinn, who’s bent over the branch.
“Now I take this and heal Maël,” he says.
Jeep dusts off his hat. “And then you bring her back to us?”
“Of course.”
Taylar holds up the tablet. “Hey guys? Myah is up to something.”
Quinn picks up the branch. “See you all soon.”
I catch his eye. “Thanks Quinn.”
He hums an almost inaudible “You’re welcome,” and when I blink he’s gone.
We all gather around Taylar.
“She’s getting ready to go somewhere,” he explains.
“Where?”
“I don’t know, Dante, she didn’t tell me.”
I want to h
it him with a snide remark, but Vicky squeezes my hand and whispers, “Don’t. He’s just worried about Maël. We’ve known each other for ages. We’re like family.”
I kiss her on the cheek and pat Taylar on the shoulder. “I know I’ve been in this family for just a few days, but it already feels like forever. I can’t imagine what it must be like to see your sister get hurt, but I do worry about Maël, too. She’ll be fine though. She’s in good hands.”
Taylar gives me a weak smile. “I know.”
I look at the others. “We will all be fine. We’re destined to win this. We’re a family and we’ll stick together.”
D’Maeo shoots me his proud father smile, Jeep gives me the thumbs up and Vicky hugs me tightly. Our lips meet and sparks fly everywhere.
“Ew!” Taylar exclaims. “Do you always kiss your sister like that?”
I laugh. “We’re a special family, Taylar. Anything is possible here.”
Jeep bends toward me and wiggles his eyebrows. “Anything?” He pouts his lips.
I push him away. “Okay, almost anything.”
I’m glad to see Taylar is laughing now, too. Then he points at the screen in front of him. “Look, she left something on the desk.”
“It’s a letter.” I bend closer. “What does it say? Can you zoom in?”
He shakes his head. “No, but I can make a screen shot and zoom that in.”
The letters blur a little when he does, but I can make out the heading. “Westside Cemetery.”
D’Maeo straightens up. “That must be where she went.”
“Then that’s where we’re going, too.”
Vicky grabs my arm. “You should eat something first. You must be starving.”
Now that she mentions it, my stomach growls. At the same time, Charlie knocks on the front door. “Did you find out which ents to contact?” he asks when I let him in, meanwhile handing me a pizza box. He must have read my mind or something.
I open it and take in the mouthwatering smell. “We spoke to the leader of the Black Forest and he gave us a branch to heal Maël.” I stuff half a slice of pizza into my mouth and close my eyes.
“That was fast,” Charlie says. “He just gave it to you?”
“Not quite,” Taylar answers, because I’m still chewing. “Dante spoke to him like a king.” He still sounds impressed.
Cards of Death Box Set Page 36