CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

I looked up at him, gnashing my teeth. “What do you want? Cause it seems like you want me dead, but you can’t hold your hilt tight enough to do it.” I took in a breath. My anger faded. I looked up at him, not wanting to fight, and wishing I could undo everything. If I could go back to the night Jake attacked me and Eric saved me… oh God. I’d rather die than live through this again. Sadness covered my face. I didn’t try to hide it from him. My voice was soft, “I didn’t want this.”

His face softened for the first time, since I told him my secret. His mouth opened, but I never got to hear what he was going to say. The glass windows shattered, pouring into the room like a crystal carpet. I screamed as it seemed like everything played out in slow motion. Jake’s body passed through the flying shards. I sprung backward. Jake came at me quickly. Blood ran down my cheek. I smeared it away, as my body tensed. I touched my comb to my mark, extending its tines.

“Give her to me and you won’t die tonight,” Jake breathed heavily. Eric answered him with his sword.

Four more Valefar poured into the room. They swarmed Eric. Jake refocused his attention on me. A sadistic smile spread across his face. I darted across the room, heading for the door. My body lunged for the knob. I turned back to the room slashing. Jake jumped back. Pulling the door opened, I swiped the silver in front of me. My blades cut through two more Valefar. They crumpled onto the carpet. I wounded them enough to slow them down, but I didn’t give the deathblow. I couldn’t. I darted into the hallway, with Jake right behind me. I could hear Eric’s voice spill out into the hallway, but I couldn’t make out his words. I backed down the hall, keeping the curved blades in front of me.

Jake’s face was contorted, as he snarled, “Ivy, you bitch! Do you have any idea what you’ve cost me?”

“Cost you! Are you insane?! Cost you?” I yelled. Hatred spewed out from me. I suddenly didn’t care if I lived or died. The urge to kill Jake was too strong. I couldn’t control it. I ran at him.  The sharp tines slashed through the air. I wanted to feel the bite of my blades move across his flesh—to feel the sensation of his body ripping open. The feeling consumed me. And I let it.

Jake paused, then withdrew his attack before I could pin him to the wall. Backing down the hall, he twirled the brimstone chains in front of me. It kept him just out of reach of my blade. He jumped down a flight of stairs, and looked up at me. He didn’t think I would follow him. He was wrong. 

As my feet sprung off the ground a body collided with mine, and I fell to the floor. I turned growling. My hand slashed the creature that downed me. The silver pierced his flesh. Fury blinded me until it was too late. The curved blades ripped into Eric’s chest. He fell back. Scarlet poured out of the sliced skin. Clutching his chest, he dragged me away from the stairwell, moving stiffly.

“There are more of them down there,” Eric said, “He was baiting you.” He walked into his apartment and clutched the counter. I stared at him. All that crap about how he wouldn’t protect me. I never thought he’d try to save me again. And I’d slashed him!

“Eric. I’m…  I thought you were one of them.” I tried to help him, but he held up his hand, waiving me away. I stayed back.

Shannon was moving quickly through the room. “Shannon?” I asked, dazed. When did she get here? I couldn’t take my eyes off of Eric. She moved around me shifting through the debris looking for something, “Al told me what happened. Listen, we have to get out of here. Now. There will be more coming.”

My focus fell on several patches of black goo smeared on the carpet. My stomach twisted. Shannon pushed her hands through a pile of wreckage and pulled out Eric’s book. She dragged me out the door. Eric followed. I could hear movement below, but the only Valefar left alive was Jake. He wasn’t stupid enough to come after me with two Martis at my side.

We went up the fire stairs to the roof. Shannon kicked open the door. Crisp night air hit my face. The wind bit my tear-stained skin. I didn’t remember crying, but my face was wet. We ran down the rooftop of the building. Fear clutched me so violently that I wanted to use my ring and turn to mist. I could leave them behind. I could evade Jake and the rest of the Valefar. Then it occurred to me that he might be doing the same thing. I was the only Martis who realized what they could do. Shannon urged us onto the other buildings. They connected to the apartments. We went to the end of the block. She went down the fire escape. Her eyes shifted over the area. 

“Keep moving,” Eric’s voice came from behind me. His hand pressed my back. I pressed myself forward. I decided to stay with them. I had to. Eric saved me. Again. Damn it! The wind cut into my burning face. We emerged in front of a darkened church. Shannon opened a door. We didn’t stop until we reached a kitchen in the back of the building. Shannon ignored Eric’s wounds. He opened a few drawers, until he found a dishtowel. He held it under a faucet, and then pressed it under his shirt.

“Say something to me.” I looked up at him. “I didn’t know it was you. I wouldn’t have… ”

Eric said nothing. He removed his flannel, tossing the stained shirt into the giant garbage pail. I stared at his smooth chest. There were faint red lines where the tines slashed his skin. “I’m fine.” His jaw was locked, and his muscles were tense. Barely breathing, I reached for him with my fingers outstretched. I ran my fingertip over a red welt. He closed his eyes at the touch. Eric remained perfectly still.

I stuttered, “How? How did this heal so fast?” I stared unblinking, not believing what I saw or felt.

His face regained its hardness. His fingers wrapped around my wrists, and gently removed my hands. “Celestial silver can’t kill us. Everything heals. It’s demobilizing, not deadly.”

I stared at him. I didn’t move. “I didn’t know it was you.” I wanted him to believe me.

“You said that.”

I took in a deep breath, “I’m sorry. And…  Thank you.” He nodded. Crap. There was no way to fix things between us now. Shannon moved to the door. She was ready to shove us out.

I asked, “Where are we going? I thought they couldn’t come into the church. Why are we leaving?”

“Throw them off,” Shannon answered. “They’ll stake out the church as long as they don’t see us leave. Eric’s blood will make them think we stayed in the building. And they can’t come in to find us. It should give us a head start.” She knew the Valefar could smell their blood. I knew she was right. That bloodstained shirt would smell like a buffet to them.

“Unless they split up. So let’s move,” Eric put his hand on my back, pressing me out the door, and into the night.

I followed Shannon blindly through a maze of streets as we ran away from the building. Eric was on my heels. We ran for long spurts. Then crept whenever they heard something. My lungs burned. The cold night nipped at me. As we crossed into the woods, I felt it. It came on fast. Raising my hand, I tried to call out, but the vision engulfed me. I never felt my body hit the dirt.

The vision began. Black silk flowed from my body, cascading into a ball gown. The skirt was larger than anything I’d ever worn, yet it was light. The bodice was lined with tiny diamonds that shimmered in the dim light. The fabric on the silky skirt flowed lightly through the air as my ethereal body moved through the room. I felt weightless, as I floated across a room toward a chair. The air crested under my feet, never allowing me to touch the floor.

The room was empty at first. Then it began to fill. They were things I thought were pretty, but never had any ambition to own. They were fine golden rugs woven with intricate detail. Vases formed from the darkness. The sweet scent of Star-Gazer lilies filled my senses. I inhaled deeply.  I lowered myself onto an intricately carved chair. My back rested against silk cushions. Ivory steps flowed in front of me. They cascaded away, and spilled into the room. The pale marble met with black and gold starbursts. It was a throne room.

The thought jolted me. I stood, looking around the room again. It was filled with more riches. Piles of gold and silver emerged from shadow. Gemstones glittered in vivid colors on the piles of wealth. My feet felt like lead. My heart felt cold and numb. I was alone. I stepped off the dais and onto the glassy floor. My feet did not touch it. The wind carried my footfalls across the room. A windowpane appeared in front of me. I rested my hands on the cool sill, and gazed out.

Expecting to see green pastures, I recoiled. My hands covered my mouth, as I swallowed my scream. Darkness surrounded the land. There was almost no trace of light. Twisted dark forms toiled in shadows. Demons were slaving below. Flames licked their charred skin. I was in the Underworld.

Jagged cliffs rose and fell, making the land look equally ruthless. But the worst horror was under my window. Three marred forms impaled on stakes were long dead. The demons deposited gifts at their feet. Unable to tolerate what my eyes revealed, I looked away. Tears wanted to fall down my cheeks, but I didn’t cry. I didn’t shake or sob. The numbness soon overcame my fear. I had to see the three stakes, again, to be certain. The first held the remains of a man. Tatters of clothing clung to his bones. A silver sword pierced the ground at his feet. My chest lurched as I recognized the intricate design on the hilt. That was Eric’s sword.

Horrified, my eyes took in the second body—a woman. Patches of long golden brown hair still dangled from her head. A silver dagger, just like Shannon had, was lodged into her chest. The third form was male. I looked for the silver that would clue me in to who the third person was, but found none. My eyes finally landed on the skeleton’s clenched fingers. Something dangled in his bony grip.

I stared down, too numb to cry, and too shaken to move. My hand instinctively touched my ring finger, but my ring was gone. Where was Collin’s ring? I couldn’t imagine talking it off. Instinctively, my hand reached out the window. I wanted what was in the skeleton’s hand. I had to see it. A sensation tickled my palm. The dark air swirled in that spot. I extended my arm and the wind left my hand. The currents changed into a crow. Its feathers emerged from darkness, gleaming deep purple. The crow flew to the skeleton. Its beak pierced the bony hand, before flying back to me. The creature landed in front of me on the sill, and dropped its treasure with a squawk. It flew into the darkness, and was absorbed into the night.

My fingers wrapped around the metal, lifting it to the light. I didn’t breathe. I didn’t blink. My fingers scraped across the square blood red stone of the ruby ring Collin gave me. A scream died in my throat, as I recognized the final corpse as Collin. I staggered back across the room. My body collapsed into the throne. Panic was lacing my thoughts. My heart thundered. It couldn’t be them. There was no way.

My head shot up as two demons skulked into the room. Their posture was bent so that their upper bodies almost scraped the floor when they walked. Their angular heads were bowed. Their blackened hands looked like prehistoric claws.

“You there!” I screamed at them, as I rose. My black dress billowed around my ankles. They stopped. I asked, “Who did that to those people?” My hand pointed out the window. “Tell me now! Tell me!” I screamed, but could not feel my voice.

The creatures’ gaze remained downcast. One responded, “It was you, Majesty. You are the most powerful, most beautiful, most vengeful Queen.” Its voice was like gravel escaping from tar. The words gurgled in its throat.

“Stop lying to me! Tell me the truth! Who did this?” I yelled. My fists balled as I screamed. I felt my voice heave from my lungs in rasps.

The second creature gurgled, “It was your Majesty. She tricked them all. They did trust her, and she led them here. They followed her. They swore to protect her.” A contorted expression leaked across his face as he continued, “But she took power and killed them all. She kept power for herself. She left their bodies under her window to remind her not to trust anyone but herself. They took what was not theirs. Queen does not pardon the treacherous. None is a more powerful, more beautiful, more vengeful Queen than you, Majesty Ivy.” The creature bowed so low that his head touched the marble floor.

I felt my eyes roll back. My body crumpled. The cold impact crashed against me, as I hit the floor. My mind screamed, as my body felt like it was trapped in tar. It clung to me and robbed me of breath and life. Suddenly, I sucked in a sob, and shot upright.

I heard Eric’s soft voice. “Shhh. It’s all right. I’ve got you. You’re safe.” His hand traveled softly across my hair and down my back. “You’re safe.”

The world swam back to me, and I knew I was sitting in the woods we were running through before the vision pulled me under. My feelings crashed into my chest. I closed my eyes tight as I waited for the violent impact to pass. I knew it was only a vision. At the same time, it scared me to death, because it could happen.

“Ivy?” his voice whispered. I shook my head. I couldn’t look at him. The images of the bodies on stakes and the silver sword gleaming in the ground, I knew that it was him. I betrayed him. Utterly. I betrayed all of them. Somehow all three of them followed me.

And I killed them.

Trembling at what I would become, I said, “You were right.”