Legacy & Spellbound (26 page)

They came pouring out. She couldn't remember if they were the right words, or even what words were really, but it sounded good. She could feel herself being sucked backward as though into a vacuum. As everything faded to black, she shouted, “Jer, forgive me!”

Holly sat straight up screaming. Freaked, Amanda started screaming as well. Then, as suddenly as she had started, Holly stopped, and collapsed backward on the ground. She began making low moaning noises and rocking herself. Saliva poured out of her mouth and rolled down her cheeks to mix with tears.

Amanda turned to glance at Jer's body, waiting for some sign of life from it. Blood trickled slowly down his arm, they had not seen it earlier for staring at Barbara. A minute passed and there was nothing. Stunned silence filled the room.

Kari finally broke it. “Where is he?” she shrieked.

Amanda turned to look at her. Silvana had her arm around Kari, but she shook it off and lunged forward. She knelt by Jer's body, her hand shaking as she reached to touch his scarred face, then pulled it back uncertainly.
“Where is he?”
she demanded, looking at Holly.

Holly just continued to rock and moan. Kari leaped over Jer's body and seized Holly by the shoulders, shaking her hard. “You tell me where he is!” she screamed. Holly didn't answer, but her head banged against the ground like a rag doll as Kari shook her.

Before Amanda could overcome her shock and move to stop her, Silvana stepped forward and grabbed Kari firmly by the shoulders.

“Kari, let her go! She can't hear you!”

“Where, where, where!”
Kari shouted, tears streaming down her face.

Alonzo darted forward and pulled Kari's hands from Holly. Holly slumped back down on the floor, her eyes glassy. Alonzo yanked Kari to her feet; she balled her hands into fists and started punching him in the chest and shoulders.

He signaled for Silvana to let go of her. Reluctantly she did and stepped backward. Alonzo let Kari hit him a couple more times before finally catching her flying
fists in his hands. “Why? Why did she leave him there?” Kari sobbed.

“We don't know what happened yet,” Alonzo said quietly. “He might be fine.”

“He's not. I know it!” Kari cried.

Alonzo pulled her into his chest and wrapped his arms around her. Great heaving sobs wracked her body and as she glanced at Tommy, Amanda felt a twinge of sympathy for the other girl.
It must be terrible to lose the one you love to somebody else, and then believe he's dead, only to have him come back and then disappear again.

It didn't make her like Kari any better, but at least she felt a little sorry for her. Tommy grabbed her hand and squeezed it as though to reassure her that she had nothing to worry about.

The stronger we grow, we can't be stopped
Deveraux strength cannot be topped
Flowing, twisting from within
A reflection of all our sins

Blessings, cursings all must flow
As we await our greatest foe
The sleeper walks, but we must wait
For she alone can determine her fate

Michael was the first to open his eyes. He leaped to his feet, immensely pleased. Eli and James were conscious a moment later. Michael couldn't help but smile at the wary look in James's eyes.

That's right, boy, just remember that I could have killed you at any time I chose. You'd do well to stay on my good side.

James rose quickly, his features taut. Eli did not fare so well. He lay unmoving for several minutes. His eyes didn't even blink. Just when Michael started
thinking he might have to do a healing spell just to get his son off his carpet, Eli sat up with a yelp.

James sneered, and Michael felt a twinge of embarrassment for his eldest.
Or is it embarrassment of my eldest?
No matter. There would be time to take care of the two young men later. But for now—

“Time to celebrate,” he announced with a laugh.

“I can't believe we did it,” Eli said, shaking his head as he slowly got up. “We conjured the Black Fire and killed Holly.”

“A day to be remembered in history.” James smiled.

“As will be the day when we put you on the throne of skulls,” Michael commented.

James flushed but met Michael's eyes. The kid knew that Michael would probably kill him. He also knew that Michael needed him, for now.

As long as we have an understanding.

Michael rubbed his hands as he walked toward the window. Outside he could see the smoke from the dozens of fires plaguing Seattle. The effects of the torrential floods were also in evidence. Yet his own house and his block had remained untouched by the destruction.
Good neighbors are hard to find,
he thought sardonically.

He rubbed his hands together. “I'm feeling generous,
boys.” With that, he waved his hands and everything stopped. The ocean monsters disappeared back into the sea, the fires were snuffed out, and the rain ceased. The clouds parted, and thin watery sunlight started pouring through. Michael stretched his hands toward its life-giving rays.

“It's good to see you, old friend; by God how I've missed you.”

And the sun shone down on Michael Deveraux, casting its life and approval on all his plans, all his work. And he smiled as the people of Seattle dropped to their knees and offered prayers of thanksgiving to whomever had stopped the carnage.

Tri-Covenate, Seattle

“I don't like it,” Sasha announced as she turned off the television.

“Thousands dead? What's to like?” Amanda muttered.

“No, not that,” Sasha said, waving her hands in the air. “It's the fact that he just
stopped.
Why?”

“He feels he has accomplished his purpose,” Pablo answered quietly.

“But how can that be?” Nicole asked. “Holly's alive.”

“We know that, but maybe he doesn't,” Tommy
suggested. “I mean, it would make sense. From some of the things she's said, we figure that he showed up there in the Dreamtime. He must have thought that she was killed.”

“By the Black Fire,” Armand supplied. “She's been muttering about that constantly.”

Amanda shuddered. “It's a terrible thing to see,” she said, her voice holding both awe and fear. Tommy wrapped an arm around her.

“He must think he killed her, and in the state that she came back, she's probably not registering on his radar,” Silvana said carefully.

A hush descended on the group. In the silence they could hear Holly muttering to herself. Each fought the urge to look, but looking at her was like watching a car accident. It was such a horrific sight that it was hard to look away.

Simply put, Holly wasn't herself.

Specifically, she seemed to be possessed by so many demons that no one was sure if Holly was truly even in there. She sat in a corner, bound in a strait-jacket that Alonzo had found at a local hospital. At the same hospital he had managed to liberate some tranquilizers and had given one to Kari.

With a collective shudder they turned back to one another. “We have to do something. We can't just
leave her like that,” Amanda protested.

She held out her hand to her sister. Nicole looked down at the birthmark in Amanda's palm, then at her own. Holly bore the final third of the lily. Together, they made a powerful triumvirate.

Firmly, she put her hand against Amanda's, and then the two of them reached out toward Holly.

They were rappelled against the wall, and slid crashing down to the floor.

“Okay, okay,” Amanda said unhappily. “I don't think we're going to be able to get near her.”

“Then we need to try something else,” Nicole said.

“Yeah, but what?” Silvana asked.

“An exorcism.” Sasha said the word they had all been trying so hard to avoid. “We're going to have to try to drive the demons out of her.”

“Can it be done—I mean, truly?” Nicole asked, turning to Philippe.

Philippe raised an eyebrow. “I have heard of such things, but I have never actually seen it done.” The others of his coven nodded agreement.

“I saw one once when I was very small,” Tante Cecile offered. “My grandmother cast a demon out of a man. I remember how terrified I was.”

There were a few murmurs, and then the group turned to Sasha. With Holly incapacitated and Jer
missing—well, his spirit, anyway—they had all seemed to look to her for leadership. By right, Philippe should have taken up the reins, but he had subtly deferred to her.

It's not because he's afraid of leading,
she thought.
He just knows that he and his group are the relative newcomers and that the others would feel more comfortable with me leading, partly because I've been here longer and am older, and partly because I'm a woman.
She shook her head. Truly he was wise beyond his years.

“Amanda is right. We must try.” She glanced at Holly. “And soon. It's too dangerous to leave her like this for long; she has too much power to have it uncontrolled, or, controlled by the wrong forces.” She took a deep breath. “Tonight, we'll try tonight.”

Michael, Seattle

“Tonight,” Michael declared, smiling at Duc Laurent. “We'll deal with the rest of the coven tonight.”

His ancestor nodded. “I understand your wife is among them.”

Michael knotted his jaw. “Ex-wife. I figure she and I are long past due for a talk.”

Duc Laurent chuckled. “You know, in my day, there was no such thing as ex-wives. Either your wife was your wife, or she was a sacrifice.”

Michael smiled. “You know, I think you had something there. Yeah, I think it's time we get back to good old-fashioned family values.”

“Speaking of family,” Laurent added, “you should keep an eye on your older son.”

“Eli?” Michael made a dismissive gesture. “He's harmless. Besides, he wouldn't dare lift a finger against me.”

“Don't be too certain. Your leaving Jeraud to burn in the Dreamtime doesn't sit well with him.”

Michael laughed. “I have a hard time believing that. The boys hate each other. I have it under good authority that Eli even tried to kill Jer several times the last couple of months. I believe poison food was the last attempt… .”

“This may be true, but I would watch very carefully.” Laurent raised one brow as he gazed at his living relative.

Michael pursed his lips. The Duc wasn't often wrong. Still, it seemed implausible. He would have to think about it later. Now, he had to prepare for the night's sacrifices.

Eli turned his athame over and over again, watching how the sharp edges caught the light. He remembered the day he and Jer had blessed it, feeding it their own blood, together.
Deveraux blood.

Angry, he slammed the dagger down on the table by his bed. For months he had been trying to kill Jeraud. Now, his brother was most likely dead and yet he was not rejoicing.

Dad shouldn't have left him. Jer's always been his favorite.

If Michael Deveraux could leave his Jer, a son he had begged Sir William to save, where did that leave
him
? Eli had always known his father was ruthless, that he had best watch his step. He just hadn't believed his father would kill Jeraud. Now Eli was faced with the realization that neither was he safe from his father's sword.

Michael was powerful, but Eli was certain that he still couldn't take down Sir William by himself.
He needs James and me to create the Black Fire. So long as he can't do it himself, I'm fairly safe. I just have to watch my step. Of course, I could always stand with Sir William against Dad.

Eli shuddered. If there was one person who frightened him more than his father, it was Sir William. He shook his head, unwilling to ally himself with the leader of the Supreme Coven outside of the usual hollow protestations of loyalty expected of the coven members.
Better the devil you know …

He picked the athame up again and watched the
jewels refract the light.
I'm going to miss that bastard,
he thought, surprised. At least with Jer he had always known where he had stood. Also, hating Jer had given him focus, a focus he sorely needed now.

He glanced at his watch. He was due to meet James in a half hour. It would take that long to meditate enough so that he wouldn't try to rip his throat out upon seeing him.
At least Jer never took my women,
he thought bitterly.

Tri-Covenate, Seattle

Sasha's hands were sweating and she dried them yet again against her robe. Half an hour before, Pablo had informed the group that he thought Michael was stirring, preparing for something.

Could he be about to attack? All the more reason we need Holly to be herself.
Sasha took several deep, cleansing breaths. The furniture had been cleared from the center of the room, and candles had been laid out on the points of a pentagram formed from herbs spread on the floor. She clutched her silver dagger tighter. She was sorry now that Kari was upstairs in a drug-induced sleep. They really could have used some of her research skills for this.