Slowly the trembling subsides, as does the pain in my head.
I hear Taylar whispering. “Will he be okay?” He sounds really worried.
The feeling in my arms and legs returns and I carefully open my eyes.
Quinn looks down on me with a smile. “That’s better.”
I nod. No pain. “Thank you, Quinn.”
Vicky launches herself into my arms, and squeezes the air out of my lungs.
I stroke her back. “Hey, are you crying?”
“No,” she sobs.
“Yes,” Jeep says from behind me. “And no wonder. We thought you had been cursed, too.”
Vicky kisses my neck and straightens up. She quickly wipes her tears away, looking a bit shameful.
I pull her back to me and kiss the wet trail on her cheek. “I’m okay now.”
She looks into my eyes and nods. “Yes, you are.” A small smile returns to her beautiful face.
“Did you find out what kind of curse she’s under?” Quinn asks, holding out his hand to help me up.
He pulls me onto my feet and I quickly check the rest of the Shield. Everyone seems to be okay. “I don’t know much about curses, but I can tell you what they did to her.”
“Great.” He gestures to the stairs. “Tell us on the way back to Darkwood Manor.”
While I go upstairs to see Mom, the others fill Mona in on what happened.
My eyes fill up as soon as I see Mom lying motionless on the bed, black veins sprouting from her chest. I sit down next to her and grab her hand. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that. I’m so sorry I couldn’t protect you.” I caress the only finger that is still skin colored.
How could I ever think I could keep her out of this?
As I bend forward to kiss her forehead, Dad’s notebook slips from my waistband and lands on the floor with a thud.
I turn around to pick it up and narrow my eyes. The book has fallen open onto a part of Dad’s diary entries. Mom’s name seems to pop from the page, urging me to read it.
I slide onto the floor, with my back against the bed and the book in my lap.
There have been times when I wished I had never met Susan. Because if I hadn’t, she and Dante wouldn’t have been in danger now. I could’ve fought the Devil without worrying about my family.
But I know now that without a family, even if they aren’t with me, I wouldn’t have been so strong. I would’ve given up a long time ago, because to me, the world is not that important anymore. Humankind will have to bow to nature eventually. And so will the Devil. But until then, I have my family to fight for. I want Susan and Dante to be safe and happy.
I watch them sometimes and I see how strong they are together. Nothing could make me prouder. I left them without a word, to keep them alive, and they went on without me. I saw their pain and their struggle, but I also saw them grow. They make me so proud. Without my love for them I would give up today. And that is what our world is built on. That is something that the Devil will never understand. Love is what makes us strong.
The last word is smudged by the tear falling from my eye. I quickly push myself up and tuck the book back behind my waistband.
“He’s right, Mom,” I say, stroking her hand. “It may be hard seeing you hurt like this, but you are the main reason I keep fighting. You and Vicky. I love you both so much.” I wipe another tear away. “And I have a great team behind me. Mona and Quinn. Charlie and the Shield.” I laugh. “It almost sounds like a band.” I gently place her hand back on the bed. “We care about each other, and we care about you. And that’s why we will win this.” I walk to the door and take a deep breath. “Yes, we will win this.”
When I get to the kitchen, Mona is pouring tea for everyone.
“So basically there’s ash from Hell inside her?” she says with wide eyes.
Quinn sips from his cup. “Cursed ash, yes.”
“And you have a way to break the curse?”
“Yes, but it is dangerous.”
I freeze in the doorway. “Wait. What? You didn’t tell me it was dangerous.”
He swallows his tea. “I didn’t want to overwhelm you with more fear, after all you’ve just seen.”
“But you-“
Vicky interrupts me. “He was going to tell you, Dante. He really was.”
I push my chair back and sit down. “Okay then.”
“He’ll have to try it anyway, it’s our only hope of saving her,” she continues.
She looks at me intently, waiting for my permission, but I don’t respond. Of course Quinn should try whatever he has thought of. But all I can think of, is that Vicky said our. Our only hope, not just mine. We are in this together and that gives me more hope than I would have thought. Now all we have to do is put Mom’s fate in the hands of an angel. That doesn’t sound so bad.
Quinn moves back his chair and bows his head at me. “I will do everything I can to save her, Dante.” He must have been reading my mind.
Tears form in my eyes at his gesture. “Thank you, Qaddisin. I know you will.”
“I will take her with me. Try not to worry, I have no idea how long it will take.”
I block the image of the black stuff crawling into Mom’s neck. “What are you going to do?”
“Those warriors you saw are the gate keepers of Hell. The ash came from their staffs, which means I’ll need the spear of Michael to destroy the ash inside your mother.”
I gulp down my tea. “You mean Michael the archangel?”
“Yes, that’s the one.”
“Right.” I stare into my empty cup and jump a little when Quinn rests his hand on my shoulder. “Don’t think about it too much. You’ve got a lot to digest. All these mythical creatures being real, your destiny, our treacherous friends-“
“Former friends.”
“Definitely.” He gestures to the back door. “Train your powers in the garden. It will take your mind off things. And tonight, whether I’m back or not, whether your Mom is better or not, you find that boxer and you save him. Deal?”
I hold up my hand and he grabs it and pulls me closer. We bump shoulders, like we did so many times before the magical world revealed itself to me. Now that I know he’s an angel, the gesture somehow feels lighter, but also more meaningful.
“Deal,” I say. “Be careful. Take care of my mother and of yourself.”
He winks. “Always.”
With a soft whoosh he disappears. The floorboards above us creak as he collects Mom. Then everything goes quiet.
I stand up and put my cup in the sink. “Well, he is right. We should let off a bit of steam. Let’s hope no demons come to interrupt our training this time.”
Vicky joins me and takes my hand. “Well, they did make great sparring partners.”
CHAPTER 20
Reaching for my power core gets easier every time I try. I can also control it pretty well. Until I’m actually under attack, that is.
We pair up differently than last time, since we all have different skills. I’m with Jeep, who focuses on helping me first.
“What’s your main struggle?” he asks, throwing his bowler hat on the grass beside us.
“Well… basically I don’t know how to control anything other than a lightning bolt. I can summon certain things, like ice and rain, but it seldom does what I want it to do.”
Jeep grins. “I know the feeling. When I first discovered my power, skeletons tore apart my house. My parents were not amused.” His grin falters a bit. “But anyway… what type of weather would you like to try first?”
“Well, rain didn’t go so well last time I tried, so let’s do that.”
“Right.” He takes a step away from me and goes a bit more transparent. “So I don’t get wet,” he explains with a mischievous smile.
“Oh, do you have so little faith in me?”
“I have faith in God’s sense of humor.”
I chuckle. “I see.”
&nbs
p; He places his feet firmly onto the ground, a little apart, and inhales deeply.
I follow his example and nudge my power core.
“Wait, wait, wait,” Jeep says. “Concentrate on what you want the rain to do, not just on the rain. If you don’t focus on a plan, the things you summon will do whatever they want.”
“That explains a lot,” I mumble, thinking of the water tornado that raged through my house. “So the most important thing is to have a plan before you summon something?”
“Pretty much.”
I shoot a sideways glance at Vicky, who’s trying to make eye contact while dodging a sword. Her fierceness and determination never cease to amaze me. When she fights, she looks like a cross between a ninja and a whirlwind. It’s hard to tear my gaze away from her.
“Hello?” Jeep’s voice calls out. “Are you still with me?”
Vicky turns her head and grins when she sees me watching her. My cheeks heat up and I turn back to the tattooed ghost. “Yes, I’m here. I’m ready.”
“Well, bring it on then, my army is already waiting.” He takes a fighting stance and the line of small skeletons that has formed behind him imitate his movements.
How did he summon them so fast? I shake my head. Never mind. I need to think of a plan. Something to wipe them all away at once. A flood would probably do the trick. If only I can make it stop before it takes me, too.
I try to create a picture of a wave in my head. In my imagination it knocks down the skeletons like bowling pins and hits Jeep square in the back. Then it takes a sharp turn to avoid me and seeps into the ground.
I repeat the whole process to myself before pulling gently at my core.
A wave as high as the roof of Darkwood Manor materializes out of thin air a couple of feet from us.
I blink at it in confusion. That’s not how I pictured it.
“Keep concentrating,” Jeep says, after a quick look over his shoulder. “You can still change it if you want.”
With my hand against my heart, I imagine the wave getting smaller. It knocks over Jeep’s skeletons and I try to make it rise over Jeep’s head and crash down on top of him.
But it doesn’t obey. It evaporates before it reaches the ghost.
He moves his hands and the skeletons jump onto their feet again. “You’re trying too hard to make it do things you believe to be impossible. Try natural movements first.”
“Okay.” I rub my hands together and start again. This time I let the wave go straight for Jeep and his zombies. I can always strike down the ones the water doesn’t get with my Morningstar.
The wave appears again, smaller this time, and sweeps Jeep’s puppets off their bony feet. Then it goes right through the tattooed ghost. I am so stunned that he manages to stay on his feet, that I forget to step aside. The water hits my legs with so much force that I tumble forward.
Jeep roars with laughter.
Wiping sand and mud from my clothes, I glare at him.
His laugh turns into a cough and he doubles over. That doesn’t look good.
I scramble to my feet and reach him as he starts to wriggle and kick.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, scanning the moving tattoos on his arms and neck. “Is it the souls? Are they trying to escape again?”
He lets out a howl and shoots upright. His hands fold around my neck and start squeezing.
I gurgle. My eyes roll up on their own as I struggle for breath.
“Dante!” Vicky’s voice rings out across the garden.
“No, leave them,” D’Maeo says. He steps into view and meets my eyes. “Use your powers to get him off, but try not to hurt him.”
I want to shake my head, but Jeep’s hold on me is too strong. The pictures on his arm pulse frantically and his eyes almost pop out of his head.
Carefully I reach for my core. It’s hard to think when you can’t breathe, so my plan is not much of a plan at all. I just think very hard of golf ball sized hail stones and aim them at Jeep’s head. Instantly it gets darker above us. The wind picks up and howls angrily.
“Concentrate, Dante,” D’Maeo calls out. “Don’t use too much power.”
Everything around me is getting hazy and I claw for Jeep’s hands. Air, I need air! No, I mean hail. Just one ball of ice is enough.
A second later the cloud above us drops about a million hailstones.
D’Maeo pulls Vicky back. “Contain it, Dante. Come on, you can do it.”
Jeep’s face doubles as I start to lose consciousness. The hail bruises my arms. My hand opens, as I want to pick up a stone and throw it at the tattooed ghost. But there’s no energy left inside me. My head slides backwards and I close my eyes.
D’Maeo’s voice gets closer again. “Okay, grab him.”
The hands finally release my neck and I float to the ground.
“Dante? Can you hear me?”
A soft, but cold hand touches my cheek. Energy pulses back into my veins.
I blink and try to smile.
Vicky’s worried face hovers above me. She gently strokes my neck. “Does it hurt?”
I force an answer out of my sore throat. “Yes.”
“I’m sorry.” She pulls me into a hug.
“It’s okay,” I say hoarsely.
With her body pressed closely against mine, she helps me up.
“Wow.” Jeep is still on the ground. He looks up at me with wide eyes, his gaze locked onto my throat. “Did I do that? I’m so sorry.”
I shake my head. “It’s not your fault. We should add another point to our to-do-list. Freeing you of those souls.”
He stares at his feet. “Maybe I shouldn’t be in your Shield anymore.”
I pull myself from Vicky’s grip. “What? Are you crazy?”
He pushes himself up and picks up his hat. “I am when those souls try to break free. What if they take full control of my body?”
“They did already,” D’Maeo answers softly. “You almost choked him.”
Vicky steps closer and folds her arms. “Yes, and you let him!”
The old ghost licks his lips. “Yes, I did. And let me tell you why.”
Taylar and Maël join us. All eyes are on D’Maeo.
“We are up against the most powerful enemy in the history of… well, everything. We, as a Shield, fought him before. We weren’t able to permanently defeat him. With Dante and Quinn on our side, we are stronger. But not at the moment.”
“What does that mean?” Vicky grumbles.
“It means we are not ready for the battle that awaits us yet. None of us are at full strength. Some of our powers aren’t fully developed yet, some of us just don’t know exactly how to use them.”
Vicky opens her mouth, ready to protest again, but Maël silences her with one swing of her staff. “D’Maeo is right. We can be strong together, but we are not strong enough yet. We need to eliminate our weaknesses. Learn to react faster, and to work more as a team.”
I carefully stroke my throat. “I thought we were doing pretty well already. We saved two souls and defeated numerous demons and other creatures.”
D’Maeo smiles. “We did. But it cost us a lot of energy. More than necessary. We all need to learn to respond faster and more efficient. We have to learn to think clearly, even when we’re close to losing our lives. Because one day very soon, Dante, we will have to fight the Devil himself.”
CHAPTER 21
Mona heals my throat and I assure Jeep that it’s fine and that I really want him to stay.
We switch partners and train for the rest of the afternoon. Just before dinner time, I finally manage to summon one ball that hits Mona in the back of the head. She goes down face first and it takes a while for me to wake her up. A large bump spoils her perfect appearance.
“Don’t worry about it,” she says before I can even apologize. “It’ll only take a minute to heal. I’m just happy that you succeeded.”
“Took me long enough,” I mumble. D�
��Maeo’s words keep playing through my mind. I keep thinking that at this rate, I’ll be ready to fight the Devil when I’m eighty.
Vicky bumps her hip against mine and I smile. “How did it go?”
She raises a fist in triumph. “I hypnotized Taylar after ten seconds.”
“Great job!”
“Thanks.” Her eyes bore into mine and she plants a kiss on my lips. “You should have a little more faith in yourself.”
We follow the others inside. “I will, when I manage to summon exactly what I want within ten seconds, too.”
Taylar’s hunched shoulders tell me his training didn’t go so well. I decide to take his mind off it by focusing on something he’s good at. “In the next session I want you to teach me some of your moves, Taylar.”
He doesn’t look up. “Sure.”
“Actually…” I wait until I have everyone’s attention. “I think you should teach us all how to use a sword and shield. We need a back-up plan in case we lose our powers, and you’re our best fighter.”
He blushes. “No, I’m not.”
Vicky’s head bobs up and down. “Yes, you are. You’re great at offense and defense, and you’re freaking fast. I wish I could fight like that.”
The corners of his mouth twitch.
I slap him on the shoulder. “As soon as we have time, you can show us how you do all that.”
He bows. “It would be my pleasure, master.”
After a drink, Mona offers to make pasta. The ghosts decline, but my stomach is already rumbling and spaghetti sounds almost like heaven right now.
D’Maeo suggests that the rest of us pick up the restoration of the manor where Quinn and Charlie left off. We find the paint and paintbrushes they used in one of the cupboards on the second floor.
“Who’s good at painting?” I ask the Shield standing around me.
No one responds. Taylar is suddenly very interested in the loose floorboard under his foot and Maël is adjusting her cape with unnecessary precision.
Cards of Death Box Set Page 53