by Linsey Hall
Declan and Syra moved on silent feet, heading away from the piles of gold and using the rock formations as cover. I watched them closely, holding my breath.
They were meant to provide a distraction, one that the pirates would never see coming. More importantly, they’d never even see Declan or Syra.
They moved so quietly that the ghosts didn’t seem to notice their presence. Probably because nothing new had happened here in hundreds of years. Why would it happen today?
Once I lost sight of Declan and Syra, I returned my attention to the pile of gold, searching for a flash of blue. Damn, I hoped that thing was easy to find.
Every few seconds, I glanced back toward the side of the cave where Declan and Syra were setting up the distractions.
When the lights from the cell phones flared bright, I grinned.
Declan and Syra had found two rock platforms that were about at eye level, and each had set up their cell phone on the ledge. Right where the pirates could see it.
Music blasted from Syra’s phone—"All the Single Ladies” by Beyoncé. If I hadn’t been so worried, I might have laughed. It was the music video—which made it even better. My phone flashed with light as well, showing a video of a kitten eating yogurt.
Most people who knew me wouldn’t expect me to have a treasure trove of kitten videos on my phone, but that was intentional.
The pirates all leapt to their feet, roaring. Shouts and scuffles sounded as they surged toward the lights.
Now was my moment.
I raced from my spot, counting on Declan and Syra to return to the cave entrance and wait for me. The mountain of gold in front of me gleamed, and I searched it, looking for that flash of blue and hoping that I wouldn’t have to jostle the pile too much to find it.
From the other side of the cave, confused shouts sounded from the pirates.
“It’s a tiny lady!”
“She’s not wearing any clothes!” The voice sounded excited.
“Why’s she in the little black box?” That pirate sounded a bit dim, actually.
“It’s a lovely kitten!”
“Lovely?” Growled a pirate’s voice.
“Yes, lovely! Kittens are lovely!”
“What’s the white stuff on its face?”
If I hadn’t been so intent on finding the gem, and so scared of being killed by a ghost pirate’s touch, I would have laughed. Instead, I was racing around the pile of gold, trying to find the gem without disturbing anything.
There were a few amazing old coins I wanted to snag, but I resisted. Once upon a time, I definitely would have nabbed as much as I could carry. But being friends with Cass, Nix, and Dell—the FireSouls who were a bit like archaeologists even though they said they weren’t—had taught me that was a pretty uncool thing to do.
Treasure like this was part of history, and history belonged to everyone. Not just the person who could fit it in their pockets. If I messed with it and took something, I’d be screwing up valuable information about this archaeological site. Sure, it was full of deadly pirates, but the principle remained the same.
Anyway, I didn’t have time.
Behind me, the pirates were still exclaiming over the videos. Most of them were very interested in Beyoncé, but there were a couple of holdouts for the kitten.
My pulse pounded in my ears as I searched the last section of the pile of gold. There were coins and chains and boxes and brooches. But no glitter of blue.
Shit.
I wasn’t going to be able to do this without disturbing it.
I tried the gentle approach first, just shifting some of the gold with my boot. It tumbled down, a waterfall of sparkles, but there was no blue behind it.
The ghosts didn't seem to hear.
Yet.
So I tried again, shifting some more gold.
Nothing.
I kept going, having no luck.
“Oy! The pile’s moving!”
The words sent a shiver down my spine.
I glanced back over my shoulder, heart in my throat. A few ghosts were looking at me.
Crap.
They couldn’t see me, but they would definitely notice if the gold kept shifting around.
More of them would figure it out soon.
I needed to bring out the big guns.
I called my mace from the ether. The FireSouls would probably frown at what I was about to do. They would definitely say I was disturbing the context.
But at least I wasn’t stealing anything. And I couldn’t hurt gold coins. More importantly, there were lives at risk.
I gripped the chain of the mace and swung, straight for the middle of the pile. The metal ball slammed into it, scattering the gold coins and jewelry everywhere. Nothing was damaged, but yeah, I’d definitely disturbed the context.
As the pirates roared their rage, I searched the shower of glittering gold, my gaze finally snagging on something blue. It flew through the air and landed a few feet away on top of a pile.
I stashed my mace in the ether and lunged for it, scrambling across the gold. The coins shifted beneath my hands and feet, making it difficult to move.
It was way harder than Scrooge McDuck had made it look.
I clambered toward the glowing blue stone, knowing without a doubt that this was the sea sapphire. It was the exact shade of the ocean.
“Behind!” Declan shouted.
Shit.
He’d revealed his location. Which meant there must be a pirate right on my tail, and I hadn’t even noticed. That was the only thing that would make him shout.
I lunged farther, grabbing for the sea sapphire. Somehow, it slipped through my fingers.
Shit.
I spun around, catching sight of the three ghosts that were right behind me.
I froze.
The pirates were just six feet away, their eyes searching the area around me. All three had raggedy beards and even more raggedy clothes. One had a pipe clutched in his jaws.
Though they couldn’t see me, they could determine my location by the way the coins moved beneath me.
I was only a few feet from the sea sapphire. My gaze darted to it. If I could just grab it and run…
The other pirates were moving closer. Only a couple had remained to hang out with Beyoncé and the kitten.
A few were looking for Declan, muttering about the sound of a man’s voice.
I had no time to delay.
I sprang for the sea sapphire and managed to grab it this time. It felt slippery as water—no wonder it had slipped through my hands before. That must be one of the reasons it had its name.
“There it is!” shouted the pirate. “The coins are moving!”
“It’s a ghost!” said another.
They lunged for me.
I gripped the sapphire tight and dived out of the way, skidding on the coins and scrambling to my feet. They pivoted quickly, moving faster than I could.
I made it to my feet, giving a burst of speed, then sprinted toward the entrance of the cave.
Two pirates came at me, no doubt able to see where I was because of the coins that my boots kicked up. They reached out blindly, their arms widespread, trying to catch whatever was making the coins move.
I darted left and right, narrowly avoiding them.
“On your tail!” Declan shouted.
I glanced back.
They were gaining.
Damn, they were fast. They had no bodies to slow them down.
I sprinted faster, my eyes on the cave entrance. Every cell and muscle burned, my lungs heaving. I gripped the stone tightly and hurtled toward the exit.
Declan appeared in front of me, running toward me.
What the hell?
He wasn’t supposed to do that.
Then I felt it.
The icy touch of death.
The hand fell upon my shoulder, cold and fierce.
The reason Declan was running.
The ghosts were even faster than they’d seemed.
> My legs faltered, and I slowed. Every bit of strength leached from my muscles as the ghost sucked the life from me with his touch.
Oh, shit.
My legs gave out, and I fell, barely managing to keep a grip on the stone. The ghost lost his grip—he still couldn’t see me, so the fall had likely taken him by surprise.
A flash of black appeared out of the corner of my eye.
Wally.
The little hellcat’s fur smoked, and his eye blazed red with flame. He hissed, then opened his mouth and blew a blast of fire at the ghosts.
They recoiled, and Wally blew another blast.
They wouldn't stay back for long, though. I could feel it.
“Wally, go! It’s too dangerous.”
Wally completely ignored me, standing between me and the ghosts and blasting his flame.
I turned my head, seeing Declan coming to save me.
He wouldn't go without me.
I knew it like I knew my own name.
It took the last bit of my strength to yank the hood from my head, revealing my form. I tried to crawl to him, but I was too weak.
Declan was nearly to me, and he swooped down and grabbed me up. His wings flared from his back, and he shot into the air, out of reach of the ghosts.
Down below, Wally disappeared.
My vision was blurry and fading fast. I barely managed to whisper, “The stone.”
Declan’s hand closed around mine, trapping the stone tight. Below, I could see the enraged ghosts shouting and leaping. The parrot was squawking. In the background, Beyoncé sang and the kitten meowed.
I drew in a shuddery breath, feeling like all my organs had shut down. One more second of contact, and that ghost could have killed me.
Hell, it might still kill me.
My vision was growing worse, and breathing was harder.
Declan flew toward the entrance of the cave. He dived low. Through bleary eyes, I caught sight of Syra. She chucked a stone to the ground, and the cloud of gray dust poofed up.
She jumped into it, and Declan followed, flying fast into the ether. It sucked us in, pulling us through space and spitting us out in the cool night air.
I couldn’t see anymore. Everything was totally dark. Panic gripped my chest.
“Aerdeca!” Declan’s voice sounded frantic.
He laid me on the ground. The grass felt cool and soft beneath my back.
“Is she okay?” Syra demanded.
“No.” Declan’s voice was sharp with worry. His hands landed on my shoulders, gentle but firm.
I could barely perceive the world around me, but I could sense him.
Healing warmth flowed into me, surging through my body like a tidal wave. At first, I felt nothing but the warmth. I was still weak and blind, with organs that felt like they were shutting down, but at least I was warm.
Then I felt him.
A connection.
That same connection I’d felt both other times he’d healed me. Only this time, it was stronger. Fiercer. As if I were feeling his will, flowing into me. He was begging me to live—using his magic to beg me to live.
And his voice.
Suddenly, I could hear it. His real voice.
“Come on, Aerdeca. Come on.” Distress tore at every word.
I fought my way toward it. Fought to find my way toward him. Toward Mari and the FireSouls who needed me. Connor.
I had too much left to do.
I couldn’t die.
My friends needed me.
Declan’s healing magic gave me strength, but I had to fight my way back to life. I imagined everything I needed to do, everyone I needed to help.
I gasped raggedly, strength returning to my muscles. Declan’s power flowed into me, mending my body back together.
Soon, I could see. I could breathe. And move.
More than that, I could feel him. The connection formed by his healing power was strong. He cared for me.
I could feel it.
So strange.
I coughed, pushing Declan’s hands away. “That’s enough.”
“You’re not one hundred percent yet.” Concern radiated in his voice.
“Save your power.” I could feel how much he was pouring into me. He needed to save enough for himself, or he wouldn't be able to fight.
Even now, he looked ashen. But relieved.
He was bent over me, his shoulders curved. I lunged up, hugging him and burying my face in his neck.
“Thank you for saving me,” I whispered.
“Only you were brave enough to run into that cave full of deadly ghosts.”
I smiled, but knew he’d have done it, too. I gave him one last squeeze, drawing in deeply of his scent, and then pulled back.
“Take the Power-Up Potion that Hedy gave you.” I dug into my pockets and pulled out two vials. One was a little vial of healing potion that I liked to carry around—I’d need the extra boost, since my insides still felt pulverized—and the other was the Power-Up.
I swigged both back, feeling strength flow into my limbs.
“Thank fates, that feels better.” I flopped back on the grass.
Syra slumped down next to me, gasping. “I was freaking worried there.”
“Me too.”
She laughed. “I can only imagine.” She rubbed her hands over her face and laughed some more. “Those ghosts! I couldn’t believe it.”
“I know. They loved those phones.” I smiled at the thought. They were bastards, but they’d been hilarious.
“They’ll be disappointed when the batteries die,” Declan said.
“Serves them right for being jerks,” I said. “Well done, guys.”
“Any time.” Syra looked at me. “I need to hang out with you guys more often. You know how to have a good time.”
“Well, I’m pleased to tell you that the fun is just beginning. Because we’ve got a demon to catch.”
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Syra said.
“Excellent.” I propped myself upright as I met Declan’s eyes. “What time is it?”
He checked his phone, then looked up at me. “Just after midnight.”
“That gives us just over two hours.” I sagged back onto the grass. Just two measly hours until the final showdown.
A showdown where we’d live or die.
I pressed my fingertips to my comms charm, igniting the magic. “Mari? You there?”
“Yeah. You find the sapphire?”
“I did. Meet at the beach?”
“Be there in five.”
Declan climbed to his feet, then held out a hand to help me up. I took it and let him yank me to my feet. He did the same for Syra.
“Let’s check out the beach,” I said. “I think I see light.”
We strode toward the sandy spot where the Protectorate members had been sitting earlier. Sure enough, there was Hans, the Protectorate cook. He bustled around the fire, making tea and coffee. There was a table set up with a kettle of something that smelled divine.
Hans was a tall man, with a handlebar mustache and a chef’s hat.
“Hans.” I greeted him with a nod, and he fed us while we waited. The Protectorate really knew how to run a smooth operation.
We were still eating when Mari showed up with the rest of the crew. She strode toward me, looking even more tired than she had earlier.
Everyone gathered around the food table, restocking as fast as they could. We’d be back in Magic’s Bend in minutes, setting up for the final fight.
Mari collapsed on the log next to me, leaning her head on my shoulder. “Thank fates you found it.”
“Seriously.” I leaned my head on hers. We’d done this a lot over the years, but never in quite such a serious scenario.
We could steal only a few seconds to rest, and I was going to take advantage of every one of them.
After a moment, I drew in a shuddery breath and lifted my head, meeting Mari’s gaze. “Nullifier?”
She just shook her head.
>
Shit.
I looked at Declan, even though I knew the answer. He shook his head, too.
If the Protectorate couldn’t find one, and the High Court of the Angels couldn’t find one…
There was no nullifier to be found.
I swallowed hard. “Then we’re going to have to beat the hell out of this demon. We have DragonGods and an army of some of the most skilled supernaturals out there.”
And we had me.
Because if we couldn’t break down the Oraxia demon’s defenses, I was going to bring out the big guns.
Mari was glaring at me, and it was pretty obvious what she was thinking. She wouldn’t say it out loud, though. Since we were in a hurry to get to the battle site, I might not ever have to listen to her concerns at all.
“I’ll rally the troops,” Mari said. “We think the demon will deliver the orb to the middle of the neighborhood, so that its magic can reach out to the far edges, but we don’t know where he’ll enter. So we’ll set up a perimeter of guards. As soon as someone spots him, we’ll go for it.”
I nodded, thinking. “Declan and Bree can watch from up high. That will help. They can give a signal.”
Declan nodded.
I’d probably find a place on a roof, out of sight but with a good vantage point.
Declan handed me the sea sapphire that he’d taken from my limp hand.
“Thanks.” I closed my palm around it, then stuck it in my pocket. I patted the other pocket to make sure that the little stone jar of potion was tucked safely inside.
I swallowed hard. This was it. There wasn’t that much planning left to do.
I met everyone’s gazes. All were shadowed with worry. I was sure mine was the same.
We had one shot left.
15
I crouched on the rooftop in the Historic District, the wind blowing my hair back from my face. The moon kept disappearing behind the clouds, but the street lamps below kept the visibility good.
The road was deathly quiet, the old houses and shops all blacked out. No one was home, so no lights were shining. The old facades of the colorful Victorian buildings looked derelict and lonely tonight.
“Nice choice of spots,” Mari said.
“Thanks.” I’d picked it because it had a view of the biggest road through the Historic District. We had the best view of the whole place.